The present invention relates generally to beverage containers having lids, and more particularly, to a reusable beverage container.
Drinking mugs and beverage containers have been adapted over the years to facilitate beverage consumption during travel activities, such as riding in an automobile, bus, train, or airplane. For example, commuters often fill such containers with their morning coffee, tea, juice, etc. to consume during their journey to work each day. These containers generally consist of a container member, or body member, and a lid member with a drinking aperture that fits over the container member to minimize spillage during travel. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,703 to Karp, U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,761 to Wissinger, and U.S. Design Pat. No. 399,392 to Husted.
Prior art cylindrical and frusto-conical beverage containers allow the lid member to be placed on the body member so that the drinking aperture may be oriented in a different position relative to the container member each time the lid is removed and replaced on the container member. Users of such containers must therefore shift their attention away from other activities and look at the container to locate the drinking aperture prior to drinking from the container. In the case of containers having handles, users must take care to correctly orient the lid on the container so that the drinking aperture is in the appropriate position relative to the handle. Even when the lid is properly oriented relative to the handle, users will need to locate the drinking aperture so that they do not spill the beverage as they drink from the container. Since users of such containers may be driving automobiles, any distraction or shift in attention away from the driving activity could be quite dangerous. In addition, while working, reading, and/or conversing in the workplace or on public transportation, users may be inclined to reach for, and take a drink from, a beverage container without looking for the drinking aperture.
Thus, there is a need for a beverage container having a lid member wherein a user can easily locate the drinking aperture without making visual contact with the aperture. In this regard, a beverage container can be provided wherein the lid may only be placed over the body member in a single orientation and includes an indicator on the body member to indicate the orientation of the container to a user""s hand. It is also desirable to provide a beverage container with a lid that guides a user""s lips to the drinking aperture as the container is brought into contact with the user""s lips. Such a container will allow a user to properly orient the container for drinking without the user having to shift his or her attention away from other activities to look at the container lid.
In one preferred embodiment, the present invention is a beverage container comprising a body member and a lid member, the body member having a base, a side surface, an upper end, and an interior volume formed from the base and side surface. The base has a substantially circular cross-section and the upper end has a substantially reniform cross-section. The lid member includes a drinking aperture and is configured to attach to the body member in only a single orientation. When properly attached, the lid forms a substantially fluid-tight seal with the body member.
A first orientation indicator is disposed on the side surface of the body member to indicate the orientation of the container to a user""s hand. The first orientation indicator may comprise an elongated depression in the side surface of the body member extending from or near the upper end of the body member toward the base of the body member. Preferably, the elongated depression is aligned with a point on the circumference of the lid member nearest the drinking aperture when the lid is attached to the body member. In one variation of this embodiment, the elongated depression extends to the upper end of the body member thereby forming a reniform cross-section. A reniform-shaped upper end would ensure that the lid fits on the body member in only a single orientation.
In another variation, the first orientation indicator may comprise at least one tactile projection formed on the side surface of the body member. This projection may be in addition to, or in place of, the elongated depression described above.
The beverage container may further comprise a second orientation indicator which is disposed on the lid member and is configured to assist in guiding a user""s lips to the drinking aperture without the user having to look at the container. The second orientation indicator may be a depression in the lid substantially aligned with the elongated depression of the first orientation indicator, if used. This results in the lid having a substantially reniform shape. The lid may further comprise a vertical ridge along at least a portion of the perimeter of the lid rising above the surface where the drinking aperture is located. The second orientation indicator may also include, in place of or in addition to the first depression in the lid, a vertical depression in the vertical ridge that may assist the user in locating the drinking aperture and aid in preventing spillage during drinking.
In a second embodiment, the base of the body member has a substantially circular cross-section, while the upper end of the body member has a substantially elliptical cross-section. To ensure that the lid fits on the body in only a single orientation, the upper end of the body member may include an alignment projection that mates with a receiving area located on the lid member when the lid is attached to the body member.
In another preferred embodiment, the body member includes an inner container member and an outer member, wherein the inner member fits within and is attached to the outer member. A perimeter flange on the inner container member engages and is sealed to a perimeter notch on the outer member. The inner container member is attached to the outer member along the flange-notch interface. Preferably, the outer member is made of a transparent material so that an advertisement medium, such as printed paper or cardboard, may be disposed between the inner container member and the clear outer member for viewing.
The outer member includes a base and a side surface. The inner member has an upper end for attachment to the lid. The base has a substantially circular cross-section and the upper end of the inner member has a substantially reniform cross-section. A reniform-shaped lid member having a drinking aperture is configured to attach to the upper end of the inner member in only a single orientation. The lid member of this embodiment is otherwise similar to the lid member of the embodiments previously discussed. A first orientation indicator, as previously described, may be disposed on the side surface of the outer member, and a second orientation indicator, as previously described, may be disposed on the lid member.
In another embodiment utilizing an outer and inner member, the upper end of the inner member has a substantially elliptical perimeter profile, rather than the reniform profile. The inner member preferably includes an alignment projection that mates with a receiving area located on the lid member to ensure that the lid member can be attached to the inner container member in only a single orientation. Features of other embodiments as described previously, including the first and second orientation indicators, may be utilized.
The beverage container may be formed of plastic (i.e., styrene acrylonitrile, polystyrene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, etc.) or any other suitable material.